Sharpay waltzed into the twin bedroom, her silver high-heeled cowboy boots sinking into the lush cream coloured carpet. She appeared seemingly oblivious to her brother's presence in the room as she threw her school handbag on her bed and began to fix her hair, despite the fact that the loud clanking of minor scales on the piano could be heard from the grounds of the Evans' mansion, never mind being a metre away.
The baby grand suddenly jerked to a halt mid-scale. Then began a low, dark variation of Mozart's Requiem.
"Jeez Ryan, isn't there a more subtle way of announcing your upcoming suicide?" Sharpay's feminine tone cut through the lingering pedal notes.
Ryan banged on the piano in frustration, and turned to glare at his twin. "What do you want Sharpay?"
She gave a too-innocent smile in response. "Just to see how you are dear brother."
"Busy." Was the short reply, before the piano started sounding once more.
Sharpay was never one to give up easily. Especially when the subject of the challenge was Ryan. She walked up behind him, and started stroking his dirty blonde hair, a shade exact to her own. She felt him still immediately, and smirked.
"Go away Sharpay. " he warned her lowly, making her smile even more.
She held her right hand out in front of him, reminding him. He sighed and kissed the palm of it lovingly, just where a jagged scar lay below her thumb. He had a scar too, nearly identical, but on his left palm. They had been six years old, on one rainy afternoon, when they decided to take the meaning of 'identical by blood' further and swear themselves to each other for life. Nothing to be kept between them.
"Gabriella." Ryan stated simply.
Sharpay withdrew her hand from his grasp. "What of girl number two?" she asked spitefully.
Ryan couldn't help but smile at the obvious jealousy in her voice. "Bolton's."
"Désolé." She said, unconvincingly.
His anger flared up at this. "Cut the crap Sharpay Evans! You're not sorry in the slightest."
She frowned down at him. "That's where you're wrong Ryan Evans. Your interests are my interests."
"Even when it comes to loving 'girl number two'?" He cocked an eyebrow cynically.
She bit her lip hard to stop the first flying remark coming out. Her honey brown eyes stared coldly into space.
"Thought so." The words were soft, but contained heavy disappointment. The piano started playing again, ending the conversation.
Sharpay's eyes began watering in frustration. She couldn't help it. She just couldn't understand, nor did she really want to understand Ryan's complete infatuation with the brunette geek. The way his voice mellowed every time he spoke her name, the doodles of her quotes in his maths book, even the fact that his compositions now revolve around G major – he thought Sharpay wouldn't notice, but she did. She more than just noticed, she became obsessed herself. That this girl was going to take her place as the main priority in Ryan's heart. Where she had been for the last 16 years and 34 days. So easily replaced by Gabriella Montez. Sharpay couldn't understand it; the only boy she had ever liked was Troy Bolton. And even that was for convenience – after all East High's prima boy and prima girl belonged together. But if she was true to herself, she never really did have an attachment to the boy, he was too insecure for her (need a partner to audition? Please) and she certainly did not love him by any standards. The only boy she ever loved was Ryan.
"I'll do it. I'll help you get your girl" she whispered, and Ryan almost missed it due to its low decibel level delivery not accustomed to Sharpay.
As it was, all he could do was stare at his twin in shocked silence.
AN: I'm sorry this chapter was so short, I didn't quite realise how short it was until I uploaded it. The next one's much longer.